PPP inked for centralised fire alarms in 150,000 UAE buildings

Hassantuk will see the connection of alarm transmission equipment with buildings' fire and life safety systems [representational image].

Published: 11 October 2017 - 12:16 a.m.

By: Neha Bhatia

The UAE has unveiled a smart monitoring and response system that will see the installation of centralised fire alarms in 150,000 buildings around the country.

Injazat Data Systems and the UAE's Ministry of Interior (MoI) – represented by the Civil Defence Headquarters – unveiled Hassantuk, a smart monitoring, alert, and control system, at the GITEX Technology Week exhibition currently underway in Dubai.

Hassantuk, a public-private partnership (PPP) initiative between the MoI and Injazat, would entail the connection of alarm transmission equipment with the buildings' fire and life safety systems.

Emergency alarms would be transmitted to a central alarm receiving centre (ARC), where operators would verify the alarm, and report valid emergencies to the Civil Defence's main operations room for immediate assistance.

The system would also identify the type of emergency and its exact location, as well as provide building intelligence, allowing Civil Defence to deploy appropriate tools and personnel to the site.

Hassantuk will connect more than 150,000 buildings and facilities.

The first set of buildings will be connected to Hassantuk by Q1 2018, with all installations to be completed by 2023.

Khaled Al Melhi, the chief executive officer at Injazat, said Hassantuk would help "dramatically reduce the current average emergency response time of 13 minutes, as reported by the MoI".

He added: "The Civil Defence will be fully aware of any genuine fire or life safety emergency in less than 120 seconds, allowing the appropriate assistance to be dispatched immediately."